Hyundai Shows Off Hydrogen Vision At CES 2024, Smart Mobility, And The Importance Of Cooperation With Indonesia

Hydrogen Hyundai fuel cell powered truck. (Doc. Hyundai Motor Group)

Hyundai Motor Company showcases their ambitious vision for a hydrogen-powered future at the CES 2024 event, in Las Vegas, USA, which is currently underway.

With the theme "Ease every way," this South Korean automotive manufacturer describes a blueprint for the hydrogen energy ecosystem, which is supported by a comprehensive approach to software and artificial intelligence (AI).

"At Hyundai, we believe that science and humanity are like the same two sides of the currency, that advanced technology should also make people's lives better. Clean hydrogen should be for everyone, move everything, and be available anywhere," said Jaehoon Chang (Jay), President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, followed from the company's website, January 10.

Hyundai Motor Group, which is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 by positioning hydrogen as a axis in their sustainability roadmap.

"Hydrogen is safe for the environment," Jay said, highlighting that hydrogen only leaves water as a by-product when generating energy.

The company's new vision will take them beyond the usual automakers to become a "mobility technology company" that leads the energy transition as the main hydrogen supplier. To that end, Hyundai will expand HTWO from a fuel cell system brand to a comprehensive hydrogen value chain business brand that includes production, storage, transportation, and utilization.

The importance of cooperation with Indonesia

Interestingly, Hyundai aims to take three million tons of hydrogen per year by 2035 through its HTWO brand, supplying fuel for industries such as clean logistics, green steel production, and power plants. The company is actively involved in global projects, starting with Waste-to-Hydrogen initiatives in Indonesia.

In a global release, the company called Indonesia has shown an increasing interest in hydrogen as an important route to achieving carbon neutrality. There is a need to initiate hydrogen adoption at the local level to encourage regional revenue to this new energy source and encourage the formation of a hydrogen ecosystem throughout Indonesia.

In Indonesia, Hyundai starts with Waste-to-Hydrogen, through the use of waste from local communities, making it possible to build its own hydrogen production mini-hub, thus eliminating dependence on hydrogen transportation and storage.

Currently, through partnership with Indonesia, Hyundai is actively looking for the right location in West Java to implement the HTWO network solution. This will not only benefit Indonesia but will also benefit the ASEAN market in the long term, where hydrogen can play an important role in driving carbon neutrality and economic development movements.

Hyundai's smart mobility

Hyundai is working on its own vehicle operating system along with a new control architecture to reduce outsourced dependencies and expand their expertise to chip levels in order to improve efficiency and performance.

The first production version of Hyundai's new vehicle operating system is expected to be released in 2026, with an integrated release of hardware and software scheduled a year later. The operating system will include an AI assistant integrated with Hyundai's big language model (LLM) to facilitate human-like interactions for applications such as navigation and music players.

Hyundai's ultimate goal is 'Cloud Transportation,' where AI-defined software, devices, and mobility join forces to create an easily accessible and intelligent mobility ecosystem, making "Transportation as easy as turning on a light switch."

Hyundai will also launch premium solutions, including data-based insurance and cloud dashcam services starting in 2025 to meet the analytic needs and tracking of their business customers. And starting next year, Hyundai will integrate Alexa into their vehicle and allow users to buy vehicles on Amazon.